very medium thoughts

Why would I sing a secular song in church?

Glad you asked. (OK. You didn’t. I did…) I have to be very honest, and say that this has been a journey for me in a big way. I remember not all that long ago that I was somewhat put-off by the very idea of singing something other than a spiritual song in church.

I remember one situation where I had a friend in Georgia who told me of an “awful” situation where a worship pastor sang the Travis Tritt song, “Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof.” I’m sure I probably made some pretty brash, and arrogant statements at the time, way back when.

Now, this past Sunday, I’m singing “Crawling in the Dark” by a group called Hoobastank (I have no idea…).

So, why the change?

Let me sum it up in one word: PURPOSE.

I have spent the first 30 years of my life in ministries who desperately wanted to see people brought to Christ, but were simply unwilling, or afraid, to take the bold steps to connect with not-yet believers. So, what would happen is we would sit in services and all agree that our purpose was to help others come to know the freedom and love found only in Jesus Christ, but there were NO results, week in and week out. We were simply doing church and wondering why no one was coming to Christ.

Fast forward to 2004. That was the year Jenny and I came to Wichita and finally engaged in a ministry under Mark’s leadership that was willing to take risks, to shake things up in order to actually REACH people for Christ. The premise is simple and Bible-based. Every weekend, Mark brings a message from God’s Word, and God takes His Word and works miraculous things in people’s lives.

We let the culture ask the questions, and that gives us a forum to present God’s answers. While I’d love to say we’re just so very avant garde and clever, I have to be honest and say that this idea is not original. In fact, it’s as old as the Bible itself. The famous preacher, Paul, quoted the culture’s poets in order to establish a baseline to move forward with truth. He does it in Acts 17 reasoning with the Athenians, and he does it again in a letter to Titus. I was joking with Mark about this the other day, that I bet Paul pulled out his 6-string Taylor guitar, and sang them the lines he quoted. (OK, it wasn’t a Taylor. They haven’t been around for that long.)

I have had to humbly confess the sin of spiritual arrogance in my past, and recognize that God wants me to be willing to step outside my area of knowledge and comfort and do something for him. Singing the words, “I’ve been crawling in the dark, looking for the answer…” is a pretty powerful recognition of so many who simply need answers for life at all. We are able to follow that song up with some incredible statements of God’s faithfulness, and then Mark stepped to the stage and brought life-giving truth from Psalms, Lamentations, and Job. Man, that’s awesome!

Now, every weekend, I enter the worship services with such a focused intensity. It’s not just “church as usual”. It’s a recognition that God is going to take our measly little offering and trigger some life-change.

That’s a purpose worth singing about.